Walk in, cook, read: How Hyderabad’s Open House run by a doctor couple is healing hunger pangs

A house in Hyderabad is never locked. One can step in any time without being asked who they are or why they are visiting. The visitor can relax in the library reading any book placed on the shelf or just sit and prepare for their exams from their own study material.

The serene atmosphere with neatly arranged chairs and tables provide the perfect ambience to study and relax for those who face a lack of space in their houses. For those who want to study at night, reading lights are provided. Even WiFi is made available.

But what does one do if one suddenly feels hungry in the house? One can simply enter the well-stocked kitchen and cook a simple meal. Rice, oil, pulses, vegetables, among other ingredients are kept ready. The only condition one has to honour is that they have to wash the utensils and keep them ready for the next visitor.

The philosophy that governs this two-storey building called Open House — Andari Illu in Telugu — in the decent SBI Colony in Hyderabad’s Kothapet is that none around should feel the pangs of hunger. It is for this reason that even during the Covid 19-induced lockdown the house remained open 24×7.

The Open House which took birth in 2006, was the brainchild of a doctor-couple Dr Surya Prakash Vinjamuri and Dr Samavedam Venkata Kameswari. The duo has always dreamt of a hunger-free society where knowledge is freely shared with love and honesty.

They also believe that women’s safety and health are key to a healthy society. With the four-fold objective of food sharing, book sharing, women’s security and health, and spreading love and care, the doctors, who are now in their mid-fifties, started an organisation called Life-HRG (Life-Health Reinforcement Group) in 1999.

Dr Surya Prakash, who looks more like a detached philosopher than a physician, says addressing hunger would help the society concentrate on knowledge gathering. A postgraduate in hospital management, Dr Surya Prakash quit the job in just three years because it didn’t feel like his calling. He discussed with his wife Kameswari, a gynaecologist, the new mission of social service he wanted to embark on and was thrilled to find not just her approval to go ahead but also her support in the venture.

This philanthropic path, however, was going to demand more than just commitment from the doctor couple. And they were more than ready to meet these demands.

Dr Surya Prakash dedicated the property his father had earned as a lawyer to society and shifted to a rented house. The house in Kothapet, which the couple vacated, has since transformed into the ‘food sharing’ Open House. Additionally, a huge property in Quthbullapur in Hyderabad was converted into a central library called Ananda Nilayam.

How it all began

Having served the medical profession, Dr Surya Prakash had been a witness to human suffering from close quarters. He was also moved by the hardships faced by people in life, especially during calamities, since an early stage. But what really motivated Dr Suryaprakash to act was the problem of hunger.

“There is something deeply wring with a society where people do not have access to food and knowledge,” he told The Federal.

He wanted to address the twin issues.

“First, I wanted to donate bananas to the hungry. I started selling bananas on a push cart with a board ‘buy one, donate one’. The bananas were kept in two baskets — one for selling and the other for donating. All those who ate one donated one. I thought setting up of more carts and providing employment to the youth besides giving some relief to those in need of food. But many young men thought it was below their dignity to sell bananas in a crowded market. It did not work. So, I discontinued and started supplying cooked food between 11 pm and 1 am at Open House. But those who did not like my preparation wanted to cook themselves. It had become a practice. Later, the timing was extended from 5.30 am to 1.30 am,” Dr Surya Prakash said.

Open House is not a simple unit that ensure food for the hungry. It has become a healing centre of sorts as well.

Many depressed people visit the place to reflect on life sitting in the serene ambience. Dr Surya Prakash said many individuals in psychological crisis went back home with a smile on their faces after visiting the Open House and experiencing the warmth here.

Many students and unemployed youth visit the Open House for food and reading. A minimum of 40 people visit the house and eat on a daily basis at the place. On the first floor, Dr Kameswari runs her clinic.

“My great worry was the food when I landed in Hyderabad to do a diploma course. I stay with my friends and cook food at Open House,” said Raja, who has come to Hyderabad from Chennai. “I did not believe that such a house exists in Hyderabad when a friend of mine recommended it. I entered with fear and hesitantly cooked upma for breakfast. Now, I am used to the place,” said Rajasekhar, a youth from Khammam, who is preparing for competitive exams.

There are no staff in the house. It is owned and maintained by the guests.

Women’s health top priority

Women’s health has been a cause very close to the hearts of both Dr Surya Prakash and Dr Kameswari. They have been fighting the practice of uterus removal by unscrupulous medical practitioners in the city. The couple say that in the majority of cases removal is not a cure and not imperative.

“It has become a money-spinning business. The unethical doctors are fear-mongers and capitalise on the fear of women. We led a campaign against the practice in the city and our campaign even led to attacks on. Undaunted, we have been trying to educate women on the importance of having the uterus throughout life. We have treated thousands of female infertility cases scientifically as part of our campaign,” Dr Surya Prakash said.

Ananda Nilayam: A world of books

The huge family mansion at Chintal in Quthbullapur, Hyderabad has been converted by the couple into a library where over 12,000 books are available. Students and youth can come and read here. There is a facility for short stays as well. They can cook food in the kitchen.
“It’s basically a knowledge-sharing centre. It has a network of 100 mini-libraries in South India and 74 of them are in Hyderabad,” Dr Prakash said.

The mansion with 20 rooms has no compound wall.

“Compound wall acts as a barrier and prevents people from interacting. Talking is the solution for many maladies we suffer in our day to day life,” he said adding that Ananda Nilayam has been a hub for many book-related activities under the name of Spreading Light.

Ananda Nilayam runs a small skill development centre for women.

Dr Suryaprakash acknowledges this mission would not have grown to this level without the cooperation of visible and invisible supporters.

Sriram Kishore, a corporate consultant from Hyderabad, is one of them.

“I believe Dr Prakash and Dr Kameswari hold an edge because of doing something the entire society failed to act on and forgot about – getting back to love and honesty. In about a decade of my association with them, I have realised that the biggest draw for them is their definition of life, living, and livability,” Kishore said.

Dr Prakash and Dr Kameswari are of the opinion that it requires no great organisation and network to address the problem of hunger.

“Individuals with their limited resources can also herald a big change,” they told The Federal.

“We are ready to assist all those who want to come forward to launch open houses in their areas anywhere in India,” Dr Prakash said.